Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Book Review: Marcel Marceau Master of Mime

This review is meant for parents, teachers, and other people that work with children to read.

In his young childhood Marcel grew up watching silent movies, movies in which actors could get their point across by movement and facial expressions and often make people laugh and cry through their acting. He liked silent movies so much he dressed like Charlie Chaplin and he wanted to grow up to be like him, a star of silent movies. Marcel pursued his dream, although he took different steps to get there and it wasn't immediate, eventually he walked forward in that dream and became a successful actor and also revived the ancient art of silent shows after it had been forgotten. Marcel's story also brings some past history about the Holocaust and how he was involved with helping and entertaining some people during it.

This book will educate children about the art of silent movies and how they tell a story without words. Although I knew there is such a thing as miming I didn't know that they used to refer to it as silent movies, so it even educated me as an adult. I like that people can give shows through miming because sometimes our words get in the way and it's much better to speak without words sometimes. I think it would be interesting to have some children learn more about silent movies as part of their education after reading this book or having it read to them by making a way that they can perform in some at school.